This disclosure relates to a device for dispensing laminar items.
In the present specification the term “laminar item” means any generally flat item which can be releasably attached to a flexible backing medium. Thus it includes labels, banknotes, cards, envelopes (empty or containing other items such as banknotes), flat packages, documents and the like. The disclosure is especially, but not exclusively, concerned with a device for dispensing so-called Certificates of Authenticity (COA) labels.
In the manufacture of personal computers (PCs) with pre-loaded software, it is common practice to supply one or more COA labels with each computer, which label(s) correspond to and act as a valid license for software loaded on the computer. COA labels embody features such as holograms which are difficult to counterfeit, so that genuine labels are subject to theft because they can be used to “authenticate” pirate copies of software. It is therefore desirable to dispense such labels using automated label dispensers which are secure against the unauthorized theft of labels by the operative.
COA labels are supplied releasably attached to rolls of transport, i.e. backing, material. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,288 and 4,585,144 describe currency dispensers in which a secure housing contains a highly elongated flexible transport medium to which banknotes are removably attached. The transport medium follows a predetermined path inside the housing and individual banknotes are ejected through a slot in the housing as the transport medium moves past.
In principle these devices could be adapted for the dispensing of COA labels from rolls. However, in each case the transport medium remains entirely within the secure housing, and the operation of the devices requires the presence of a leader (strip of blank transport medium ahead of the first banknote) and/or trailer (strip of blank transport medium after the last banknote), and therefore cannot dispense banknotes located immediately adjacent the front and/or rear ends of the transport medium. Furthermore, these prior devices are unable to dispense banknotes from short lengths of transport medium.
These are serious deficiencies for the dispensing of COA labels. COA labels are commonly supplied on a roll of transport material with the labels disposed edge-to-edge along 15 the full length of the roll from the front end to the rear end. There is no leader or trailer. It is also a common requirement for COA labels to be dispensed from short lengths of transport medium bearing, for example, just a few COA labels. This would not be possible with the prior devices.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide an improved device for dispensing laminar items such as COA labels.